Portable typewriting machine



W, A. PAPWORTH PORTABLE TYPEWRITING MACHINE Nov. 6 1923. 1,472,811

Filed May 2'7 1921 WITNESSES [NVEN TOR.

?atent Nov. 6, 923.

WALTER A. PAPWORTH, OF

enann narms, moment.

PORTABLE TYPEWRITING MACHINE:

Application filed May 27.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, WA TER A. PAPWORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to writing machines of the portable kind, in which the parts are so arranged as to give the machine a form convenient for packing and carrying, and the weight is kept to the minimum consistent with strength. I am aware that typewriters have heretofore been constructed of a form suitable for portability by folding the carriage and other parts of the machine, and also without folding any parts by using typebars of unusual shortness. The objects of this invention are to provide a typewriter of very compact form, particularly as regards height, without folding any parts, and having typebars of the full length employed in the leading standard office machines, viz, about three and one half inches. Further objects are to provide means for actuating the typebars which are very compact, simple, strong, and inexpensive, and which will impart an accelerating motion to the typebar with minimum resistance to the fingers of the o erator. Other objects will appear herea ter. These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a vertical section of the machine. I

The frame 1* consists of a pair of side plates of substantially the outline illustrated, connected by transverse bars H and I at the front and rear, and by a front plate J. Other transverse members A and Z, while not properly parts of the frame, are so proportioned and attached as to contribute greatly to the stiffness of the frame.

Across the rear upper part of the frame is disposed a carriage support D, attached to the frame by parallel links, M andN, on each side of the machine, whereb the carriage support may be raised for rlnting capitals and figures. A carriage is mounted to travel on the carriage support, and carries a platen P around which the paper is wrapped to receive the type impressions.

The typebars B, bearing type T, are fulcrumed in a segment Z at the extreme lower part of the machine, and when at rest extend diagonally forward and upward to the front 1921. Serial No. 472,967.

upper part of the machine. The ty ebar actuating means are contained entir y in the small triangular space beneath and in front of the typebars.

Extending across the machine and attached rigidly to the frame at each side is the action plate A which furnishes the principal diagonal stiffening to the machine and provides the support to which the several parts of the typebar actuating means are attached and fulcrumed. This plate may be of one piece as illustrated, or may be built up of a-number of members. At the rear it has a vertical portion containing slots through which the rear ends of the key levers pass and slide. In front it has another upstanding portion containing vertical slots for the rock levers R. The lower edges of the slots furnish the fulcrums for the rock levers. In the middle it has a series of books for the'action springs S.

The rock levers B have a curved tongueshaped part which passes through the slot in the action plate and contains a hole for at taching the front end of the action spring S. This tongue has a notch N in its lowerside which fulcrums over the lower edge of the slot and permits the rock lever to rock, but will not permit it to move forward or backward. The spring holds the rock lever snugly against its fulcrum and pulls-its rear armdownward. The rear arm of the rock lever is provided with a hole at X, into which is hooked the front end of a link L connecting the rock lever and-typebar.

The key lever K is pivotally attached to the front end of the rock lever at V, and its rear end passes'through and. is free to slide in the slot in the rear of the action plate. The keylevers are guided by a comb C which extendsacross the machine.

In assembly the typebar segment and action plate are first fastened into the frame. The key lever and rock lever are fastened together with a fulcrum rivet at V before being placed in the machine. The rear end of the key lever. is first inserted in its slot in the action plate, then as the key lever is swung upward, the tongue of the rock lever is hooked into its slot in the action plate, and the spring S attached, holding these parts in their normal position. Then the link L and typebar B are put in, and these parts prevent the key lever and rock lever from going down far enough to permit the rock lever to unhook from the action plate.

As the key lever is depressed with the finger the key button is guided in a practically strai ht up-and-down motion by the front arm W of the rock lever swinging about its fulcrum, while the rear end of the key lever slides backward and forward, thereby obviating the forward swing of the key button which would result if the key lever were hung on a fixed fulcrum.

The fulcrum points V, W, X, and Y, are so nearly in a straight line that when the key is first depressed the point X moves almost at right angles to the link, and the typebar is lifted very slowly at first. The resistance due to the inertia of the typebar is thus very easily overcome, and although the several parts are rigid and inflexible. the action is light and pleasing.

Having thus described my invention, I desire to claim as new:

1. In a typewriter, a frame. a platen mounted at the rear upper part of the frame. a segment mounted in the extreme lower part of the frame, an action plate extending transversely across the frame in front of the segment; a key lever supported at its rear end so as to move backward and forward, a rock lever pivotally connected at its front end to the said key lever, extending rearwardly therefrom, and fulcrumed in the said action plate; a typebar fulcrumed at the extreme lower part of the machine in the said segment, and a link operatively connecting the rear end of the rock lever with the typebar; the whole co-operating together so that when the key lever is depressed it is constrained to move in a substantially vertical direction, therear end 'of the rock lever is moved upwardly pulling on the link, and the typebar is swung upwardly with increasing velocity until it strikes the platen.

2. In a typewriter, a platen mounted in the rear upper part of the machine, a segment mounted in the extreme lower part of the machine, typebars fulcrumed in the said segment and extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom to the front upper part of the machine, links connected to the typebar-s and extending upwardly and forwardlv therefrom, a rock lever support having fulcrums for rock levers, rock levers fulcrumed in the said support having forwardly and rearwardly extending arms whose terminal centers are substantially in horizontal align ment with the said fulcrums, the rear ends of said rock levers connecting with said links, key levers pivotally connected to front arms of said rock levers so as to swing downwardly therewith and extending baekwardly and downwardly beneath the rock levers and links to a support adapted to permit the rear ends of the key levers to move substantially horizontally backward and forward: the whole co-operating so that when the finger keys are pressed downward they are constrained to move in a substantially vertical direction, the rear ends of the rock levers move upward and pull on the links, and an accelerating movement is imparted to the typebar, whereby the latter strikes the platen. Y

3. In a typewriter, a frame, a key lever supported at its rear end in the extreme lower part of the frame so as to move backward and forward, a rock lever pivotally attached at its front end to the key lever and extending rearwardly in a substantially horizontal direction, aroek lever fulcrum mounted in the frame and supporting the rock lever, a spring attached to the rock lever and tending to keep it in normal position. a typebar segment mounted in the extreme lower part of the machine, a typebar fulcrumcd in the segment, a link oper atively connecting the rear end of the rock lever with the type bar, and a platen mounted in the rear upper part of the machine, the whole (Bo-operating so that when the key lever is pressed downward in oper ation it is constrained to move in a substantially vertical direction, the rear end of the rock lever is actuated in a direction transverse to the length of the said link, and the typebar is caused to swing upward with an accelerating motion until it strikes the platen.

4. In a typewriter, a key lever supported at its rear end so as to move backward and forward, a rock lever pivotally connected at its front end to the said key lever and having a tongue adapted to engage with a fulcrum plate. said tongue bearing a notch adapted to engage with 'a fulcrum, a rock lever support having at its front end an upstanding fulcrum plate provided with a slot to receive the tongue of the rock lever, the lower edge of the said slot being adapted to engage with the said notch and act as a fulcrum for the rock lever, and the said rock lever support having at its rear end a downwardly extending flange provided with a slot adapted to receive and support the rear end of the key lever, a spring attached to the said tongue on the rock lever and holding said tongue and notch firmly in engagement with the said fulcrum plate, the whole so pro portioned and so co-operating that when the front end of the key lever is pressed downward it is constrained to move in a substantially vertical direction.

5. In a typewriter, a key lever supported at its rear end so as to move backward and forward, a rock lever pivotally connected to the key lever having a portion adapted to enter into interlocking pivotal engagement with a rock lever support when in abnormal position, a rock lever support having a portion adapted to receive and interlock with said rock lever, and adapted to receive and support. the rear end of said key lever,

and a spring attached to the said rock lever, holding it in engagement with said rock lever support, and holding the key lever in its uplpermost position.

6. n a typewriter, a substantially horizontally positioned rock lever, a support on which the rock lever is pivotally mounted at a point between its front and rear ends, a key lever having pivotal connection near its middle to the front end of the rock lever and at its rear end being pivotally and slidably mounted on the support, and a. spring attached to the rock lever and said support acting to normally elevate the front end of the rock lever and attached key lever.

7. In a typewriter, a stationary support, a key lever having its rear end pivotally and sildably mounted thereon, a rock lever pivotally mounted between its ends and ivotally connected at its front end to the ey lever at a point substantially midway between the ends of said key lever, said rock lever lying the rear of the front end portion of the key lever and over the middle portion of said key lever, the whole cooperating so that the front end of the key lever moves up and down while the rear end slides backward and forward on its support.

8. In a typewriter, a support for key levers and rock levers connected to said key levers, comprising a single plate of sheet metal formed with a substantially upright front portion provided with slots in which the rock-levers are adapted to be mounted, said plate being bent to the rear from the lower edge of said upright portion for a distance and then turned downwardly to form a vertical rear portion, said downturned vertical rear portion of the plate having slots in which the rear ends of the key levers are received for pivotal and sliding movement.

9. In a typewriter, a substantially upright rock lever support plate having slots, rock levers having tongues passing through and pivotally engaging with said slots, and springs attached to the said tongues and adapted to prevent their disengagement from the said slots.

10. In a typewriter, a supporting plate located at the lower front portion of the typewriter and including an intermediate substantially horizontal section, with a downturned rear end portion and an upturned front end portion, both of said end ortions having vertical slots therein, rock livers pivotally mounted on the front upturned portion and having parts assing through said slots, and key levers pivotally connected between their ends to said rock levers and extending under said intermediate portion of the support and at their rear ends passing through the slots in the immediately to downturned rear end portion of the plate.

11. In a typewriter, a. sheet metal fulcrum plate provided with slots, rock levers disposed substantially at right angles to the fulcrum plate and'having tongues shaped to enter into interlocking pivotal engagement with the said slots only when the rock levers are rotated to an abnormal degree, and key levers sup orted at their rear ends so as to. move bac (ward and forward, and pivotally connected to the front ends of the rock levers so that the front'ends of the key levers are guided to move in a substantially vertical direction.

12. In a typewriter, a typehar pivotally mounted at its lower end at an extreme lower part of the machine a distance in front of the back of the machine and extending upwardly and forwardly to the front upper part of the machine, there being a. substantially triangular space below the typebar, an operating rock lever, a support therefor, a spring attached to the support and the rock lever, and a key bar to which the rock lever is pivot-ally connected and which is mounted at its rear end on the support all located in said space. and a link connecting the rock lever with the key bar also located in said space, substantially as and for the purposes described.

13. In a typewriter, means for actuating the typeb-ars consisting of an action support, rock levers fulcrumed at the front of the action support, and key levers pivotally attached to thefront ends of said rock levers and swinging downwardly therewith, the rear ends of the key levers being supported and guided by the rear part of said action plate and having a forward and backward. sliding motion in relation thereto.

14. In a typewriter, a type bar pivotally mounted at itslower :end at an extreme lower part of the machine and a distance in front of the back of the machine and extending upwardly and forwardly to the front upper part of the machine, there being a triangular space below-the type bar, a key lever mounted at the front of the niachine and extending at its rear end into said space, and operative connections between the type bar and key lever for actuating the type bar on depression of the front end of the key lever, said key lever being mounted for movement of its rear end backward or forward on deprwion or elevation of the front end thereof.

15. In a typewriter, typebars fulcrumed at the extreme lower partof the machine and extending diagonally forward and up- .ward to the front upper part of the machine, and forming thereby a triangular space beneath the typebars, the typebars forming one side of the trian lo, the base of the typewriter another equai side, and the connecting line the third; combined with key levers extending back into the said triangular space, and operative connections between the key levers and typebars situated within the above specified triangular space.

1.6. In a typewriter, a substantially horizontally positioned rock lever, a support on which the rock lever is pivotally mounted between its front and rear ends, a key lever, a pivotal connection between the front, end of the rock lever and the key lever at a point between the ends of the said key lever, said key lever being mounted for substantially vertical up and down movements of its front end, a type bar pivotally mounted back of the rock lever and at a point below the pivot of the rock lever, said type bar extending normally upward and toward the front at an angle to the horizontal and vertical, and a link connecting the rear end of the rock lever with the type bar belowthe pivot of the type bar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have 'afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses, May 25, 1921.

VALTER A. PAPNVORTH. lVitnesses:

ALBERT F. MosER, HARRY J. REED. 

